"Mortissa" (a strong independent woman) is an album of smyrneika/rebetiko songs in Greek and Turkish with musical roots in Anatolia. The music arose in the turbulent times of the 1920s. This is the music of the alternative, the underground scene, the music of freedom-loving people; appropriate for the current political situation.
Although there have been many recordings of rebetiko over the years, Cigdem Aslan presents a fresh take, an immigrant herself from her homeland, a person from a minority ethnic group, a female singer in a usually male genre.
Having made her mark singing as front singer of award-winning She’koyokh Klezmer Ensemble and also having graced the stage as opening act for Turkish diva Sezen Aksu and for Yasmin Levy, with this debut album Cigdem (pronounced ‘Cheedem’) is ready to take the stage as a star in her own right.

Released by Asphalt Tango Records, 2013, Format: CD

Maria Tanase is loved in Romania like no singer that has followed her. 2013 marks the centenary of her birth and this anniversary has inspired Oana Catalina Chitu to pay homage to the legendary diva. Chitu, with her charming soulful voice and her multi-ethnic ensemble, transports Maria Tanase‘s songs into our time. The new arrangements never betray the spirit of the original versions, but bow down before a divine singer, who is ready to be discovered by an international audience.